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Novel CRISPR-based technology may lead to powerful epigenetic therapies

Scientists have figured out how to modify CRISPR's basic architecture to extend its reach beyond the genome and into what's known as the epigenome -- proteins and small molecules that latch onto DNA and control when and where genes are switched on or off.

17 Apr 2021

Study sheds light on how tau aggregates promote Alzheimer’s disease

Look deep inside the brain of someone with Alzheimer's disease, most forms of dementia or the concussion-related syndrome known as chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) and you'll find a common suspected culprit: stringy, hairball-like tangles of a protein called tau.

17 Apr 2021

Candidate coronavirus vaccines show promising results in early animal testing

A candidate vaccine that could provide protection against the COVID-19 virus and other coronaviruses has shown promising results in early animal testing.

17 Apr 2021

Study sheds light on how autism manifests in the brains of girls

New research has shed light on how autism-spectrum disorder (ASD) manifests in the brains of girls, prompting the scientists to warn that conclusions drawn from studies conducted primarily in boys should not be assumed to hold true for girls.

16 Apr 2021

Researchers develop an effective strategy to fight against chronic myelomonocytic leukemia

Leukemias are debilitating cancers of the hematopoietic or blood-forming cells of the bone marrow. Now, researchers at Tokyo Medical and Dental University describe an ingenious strategy against chronic myelomonocytic leukemia (CMML) wherein an antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) comprising a cytotoxic drug payload linked to an antibody that selectively targets specific cell lines effectively blocks malignant cell proliferation at source.

16 Apr 2021

Study reveals new lineage of tuberculosis-causing bacteria in the eastern part of the continent

Mireia Coscollá, a researcher at the Institute for Integrative Systems Biology (I2SysBio), a joint centre of the University of Valencia and the Spanish National Research Council, has led a study on the bacterium that causes tuberculosis, one of the 10 deadliest diseases in the world, which proves the existence of a new lineage.

16 Apr 2021

New and more effective treatment for Pompe disease

Rare diseases are sometimes the most difficult to treat because of a lack of research and fewer participants to study.

16 Apr 2021

Genetic variants that impact protein binding in immune cells can cause autoimmune diseases

Certain genetic variants that cause modified protein binding in immune cells, are also seen in those at high risk of some autoimmune diseases, new research has found.

16 Apr 2021

HP1a is a key epigenetic regulator that maintains chromosome integrity

The information of the human genome is encoded by approximately 3 billion DNA base pairs and packaged into 23 pairs of chromosomes.

16 Apr 2021

Researchers probe intriguing interaction between sugars and the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein

A new study posted to the bioRxiv preprint server focuses on a novel formulation of magnetization or saturation transfer. This method is developed by amalgamating theoretical and computational approaches based on a Bayesian deconvolution algorithm, which helps obtain data more accurately and determine the ligand-protein interaction.

16 Apr 2021

Complex patterns of genetic ancestry can provide insights into genetic, environmental factors of many diseases

The complex patterns of genetic ancestry uncovered from genomic data in health care systems can provide valuable insights into both genetic and environmental factors underlying many common and rare diseases--insights that are far more targeted and specific than those derived from traditional ethnic or racial labels like Hispanic or Black, according to a team of Mount Sinai researchers.

16 Apr 2021

“Expansion Hunter” method can detect DNA errors that lead to repeat expansion diseases

Detecting hidden genetic defects by applying an existing method to an existing datasets. Researchers at Radboud university medical center have succeeded.

16 Apr 2021

Markers of fear recall differ between sexes, but in a hormone-dependent manner

A new study shows that markers of fear recall differ between men and women, but in a hormone-dependent manner.

16 Apr 2021

Novel gene mutations may help identify patients with a specific form of muscular dystrophy

New research from the University of Minnesota Medical School found mutations in a novel gene that may help identify patients with a specific form of muscular dystrophy.

16 Apr 2021

Study reveals new genes that program stem cells to make dendritic cells

Using a new single-cell technique, WEHI researchers have uncovered a way to understand the programming behind how stem cells make particular cell types.

16 Apr 2021

More SARS-CoV-2 variants have emerged from immunocompromised hosts, shows research

A number of SARS-CoV-2 variants have emerged from immunocompromised hosts, research has identified. It is thought that variants of concern - including B.1.1.7, a variant first identified in Kent - were a result of long-term infection in people with a weakened immune system.

16 Apr 2021